Cabinet Card
The bigger sibling of the CDV — large albumen portraits on heavy ornamental mounts.
Antique Cabinet Card W H Tipton Young Woman Portrait High Collar Gettysburg PA
Antique Cabinet Card Sutton Baby Long White Gown Photograph Hornellsville NY
Antique Cabinet Card Lundelius Young Woman Portrait Bow Collar Port Jervis NY
Antique Cabinet Card Chesley Victorian Woman Lace Collar Pipestone Minn MN
Antique Cabinet Card Chesley Victorian Woman High Beaded Collar Pipestone Minn
Antique Cabinet Card Fb Leclear Young Woman Vignette Portrait Grand Rapids Mich
Antique Cabinet Card Benjamin Woman Lace Collar Pendant Photo Pipestone Minn
Antique Cabinet Card West Three Children Siblings Studio Portrait Bradford PA
Antique Cabinet Card John P. Leemer Young Girl White Dress Harrisburg PA
Antique Cabinet Card Frommeyer Young Couple Woman White Dress Hanover PA
Antique Cabinet Card Pickels Olive Myrtle Mcgrew Sisters South Auburn NE NEB
Antique Cabinet Card Handsome Moustachioed Man Standing Dark Three Piece Suit
Antique Cabinet Card Vignette Woman Spectacles Eyeglasses High Collar Dress
Antique Cabinet Card Portrait Young Victorian Woman Puffy Sleeves Brooch Collar
Antique Cabinet Card A. M. Follett Portrait Young Woman High Collar Queen PA
Antique Cabinet Card Handsome Young Man Trimmed Suit Lapel Striped Tie Portrait
Antique Cabinet Card Wagoner Victorian Woman High Collar Photo Hagerstown MD
Antique Cabinet Card Handsome Young Man Three Piece Suit Bow Tie Watch Chain
Antique Cabinet Card Butler Elderly Victorian Woman Brooch Morrisville VT
Antique Cabinet Card Haines Dapper Man Long Overcoat Pedestal Philipsburg PA
Antique Cabinet Card Townley Young Boy Curly Hair Pattern Bow Tie Newton NJ
Antique Cabinet Card F J Weber Vignette Portrait Woman High Collar Erie PA
Antique Cabinet Card Richard Walzl Young Boy Knickerbocker Suit Baltimore MD
Antique Cabinet Card Kirk Studio Florence Todd Toddler White Dress Newark NJ
Cabinet cards are larger albumen photographs mounted on thicker, often decorated card stock. First offered in London in 1863 and reaching American studios by 1866, they were dominant from the 1880s through the early 1900s — the ‘Golden Age’ of the cabinet card runs roughly 1870 to 1895 — and continued in declining numbers into the 1920s.
HistoryOrigin & era
Cabinet cards offered the same albumen process as CDVs but at a size more flattering to detailed studio work. By the 1880s mounts grew elaborate — gold edges, embossed studio logos, chromolithographed backs. The format faded sharply after Eastman Kodak's 1900 Brownie put cameras in everyone's hands; few cabinet cards date after 1906, and the last were produced in the early 1920s.
IdentificationHow to spot a Cabinet Card
- Mount roughly 4¼ × 6½ inches.
- Heavier card stock than a CDV, often with rounded corners and gold or beveled edges.
- Photographer's imprint usually on the front below the photo, with elaborate logos on the back.
- Plain pale mounts are earlier (1870s); dark green, black, and gilt mounts are 1880s–1890s.
Cabinet Card sizes
Standard cabinet cards are remarkably consistent, but several larger "deluxe" formats were sold by the same studios.
| Format | Inches | Millimeters | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard cabinet card | 4¼ × 6½ in | 108 × 165 mm | Universal mount size. |
| Cabinet print on mount | ≈ 3¾ × 5½ in | ≈ 95 × 140 mm | Photo trimmed to fit with a narrow border. |
| Promenade | 4 × 7 in | 102 × 178 mm | Taller variant, popular 1875–1900. |
| Boudoir | 5¼ × 8½ in | 133 × 216 mm | Larger format for full-length portraits. |
| Imperial | 6⅞ × 9⅞ in | 175 × 251 mm | Largest of the cabinet-family mounts. |
| Panel | 4 × 8 in | 102 × 203 mm | Narrow, full-length portrait format. |
Common questions
What is a cabinet card?
A cabinet card is a Victorian-era portrait photograph — an albumen print mounted on a heavy card roughly 4¼ × 6½ inches. First offered in London in 1863 and arriving in American studios by 1866, cabinet cards were the standard portrait format from about 1880 through the early 1900s and continued in declining numbers into the 1920s.
How do I date a cabinet card?
Mount color and decoration are the best clues: pale buff or cream stock with a simple imprint is 1870s; dark gray or maroon with gold edges is mid-1880s; deep green, black, or chocolate brown with ornate gilt lettering is 1890s. Beveled edges with gold appear around 1885.
What are cabinet cards worth?
Generic studio portraits typically run $5–$20. Cards depicting identified subjects, occupational scenes, ethnographic subjects, post-mortem photography, or well-known photographers can range from $50 to several hundred dollars. Condition, sharpness of the print, and subject interest matter more than age.
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